Ghost Hound Blog Posts

You know that horror anime that became forgotten with time despite the fact that it had the Serial Experiments Lain team on it because 2007 was the year for such classics like Baccano, Gurren [...]
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Sure the Secret Santa Project only asks that a person pick, watch, and review one work in any given year but I don’t like the idea of missing a good series and Time of Eve was a spectacular movie; so, I dove into another pick from my Secret Santa – Ghost Hound. Can it continue [...]
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Sure the Secret Santa Project only asks that a person pick, watch, and review one work in any given year but I don’t like the idea of missing a good series and Time of Eve was a spectacular movie; so, I dove into another pick from my Secret Santa – Ghost Hound. Can it continue [...]
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Ghost Hound has been on my radar ever since it came out back in 2007. Produced by Production I.G, it sounded like my kind of show. But after an episode I never continued. Until now that is. The first half of the show was very psychologically based, a lot terms were thrown around and events … Read more
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I love ghost stories. I really, really love (animated) ghost stories, and that’s why I started Ghost Hound. After all, it has the word ghost in the title, it must have something to do with the paranormal and stuff. Well it’s good because it does. Ghost Hound is the story of three boys who manage to [...]
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I figure I basically am a ghost. I think we all are. ~John Astin Genre: Spiritual/Supernatural/Psychological/Mystery Review Status: Complete (22 Episodes/22 Episodes) Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US by Sentai Filmworks Art/Animation: The character designs are fairly typical for around this time, with bug eyes and small facial features, making them look [...]
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Day 126/366 Ghost Hound is a strange anime about boys who can seemingly leave their bodies. We barely see these kids at school but that's ok since neither the boy uniforms or the girl ones are anything special. Girls wear a run of the mill sailor suit and boys sport their all black style yet [...]
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Finally we have come to the best anime I watched during my Not so Secret Santa Project! Losty recommended 2 shows when I asked "What show should I watch that I haven't already asap?" Those were Ghost Hound and Sola. Choosing between these 2 shows boiled down to which one I had access to right [...]
Related posts:Not so Secret Santa: Noein
Not so Secret Santa: Hitohira
Not so Secret Santa: Best Student Council
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I was looking around for a horror anime and came across Ghost Hound. It starts off with a mysterious feel and I couldn't help but to get hooked into watching. There are many mysteries and puzzles throughout the series, and it's really interesting to see how the characters seek explanations (both supernatural and scientific) to them. Ghost Hound is also unexpectedly educational as there were also many references to psychology and neurology throughout the series.Story: (8/10) – GoodGhost Hound is one big puzzle on its own and within it, there are many small mysteries, which are explained throughout the series. The premise of the story and some of the mysteries are very interesting but I'm slightly disappointed with the ending as I was expecting something more mind-blowing. I also feel that some parts are not explained properly, but perhaps there can never be a proper explanation for them.Characters: (9/10) – Very GoodMy first expression of the 3 main characters (Tarou, Makoto and Masayuki) wasn't much as they looked plain to me. However, as the series progressed, I like the characters, their personalities, and their developments more and more.Tarou - Cute! Despite his appearance, he's surprisingly strong-willed.Makoto - Very cool! Definitely my favorite among the three main characters.Masayuki - I thought he was quite pushy initially, but he's actually very thoughtful.Art/Animation: (8/10) – GoodI like the character designs of the humans but I can't say the same for the spirits/ghosts. On the other hand, the animation is pretty good.Music: (8/10) – GoodI like horror anime but I don't share the same passion for music. I don't really like music with a creepy feel and this is what I feel about the Opening theme "Poltergeist" by Mayumi Kojima. But well, it certainly fits the mood of the anime. As for the Ending theme "Call My Name ~Kazenari no Oka~" by Yucca, I like it a lot. This song also fits the mood of the anime but it has a completely different feel from the Opening theme.Enjoyment: (8/10) – GoodGhost Hound did not make me laugh, did not make me cry, did not scare me but it certainly did make me think a lot. I enjoyed watching the mysteries unravel one by one.Overall: (8/10) – GoodThough Ghost Hound is horror and about ghosts/spirits, it did not scare me at all. But I think scaring the viewers, is not the main purpose of the series. I like Ghost Hound more for its psychological rather than supernatural aspects. This is a must watch for all who enjoys psychological and horror anime.
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Good news everyone! I find myself with a copy of Ghost Hound on Blu ray from Sentai Filmworks sitting on my desk needing a good home. To figure out where it’s going, it’s time for another Who Are You contest. Below is an image of a character from Ghost Hound that’s been screwed up. All [...]
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When he was three, Taro Komori and his sister were kidnapped, but the kidnapper was run over and killed before the ransom could be delivered. The police eventually found Taro, but not before his sister had died. Eleven years later, Taro still has nightmares of the events surrounding the kidnapping and is haunted by a tall, featureless specter. Now Taro searches for answers together with two unlikely companions: a brash transfer student from Tokyo who is himself haunted by the memory of a fellow student who committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the school, and the son of a man who committed suicide after being accused of being involved in the kidnapping. Unseen spirits, ghosts, and out-of-body experiences all combine in an intriguing exploration into the workings of memory and our perception of the world. Vital Stats Title: Ghost Hunt, Collection 1 Studio: Production I.G. Licensor: Sentai Filmworks Japanese Audio/English Subtitles Discs: 2 Run time: 275 Minutes (11 episodes) Release date: 10/20/2009 SRP: $59.99 <object width="640" height="385"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5a2eEYoWQcQ&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"> </param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> </param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5a2eEYoWQcQ&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"> </embed></param><param value="transparent" name="wmode"> </param></object> Viewable Online: YES (The Anime Network) Discussion: First off, love, love that opening. My instincts were all saying... Serial Experiments Lain, and that's not an entirely off base comparison. Combining the director and script writer from that show, Ghost Hound is a highly stylized story with very little dependency of verbal dialog. So much so, I'm sure you could turn off the English subtitles and still immutably know what was going on. To say I loved the "style" is an understatement. I loved the style, loved the music, loved the expression. What I'm unsure of is "if" I love the story. Episodes 1-4 had me watching because I was intrigued, but the series took a direction decidedly different than the introduction. See, the series starts off with these incredibly aloof characters. Taro was kidnapped as a 3 year old. His sister died as a result. Makoto was the son of the man accused of kidnapping Taro. His father committed suicide as a result, and he's being lead by his cult leader grandmother. Masayuki, well, I don't actually know much about him. He's a transfer kid with a bunch of things going on with his family. He has a fear of heights due to a friend(?) who committed suicide. I expect more from him soon. Masayuki tends to get on people's nerves Masayuki kind of acts like glue to the group. While he initially appears the most socially affluent, he is obsessed with the others, and addresses the things that have tormented him. In this perverse circle, they create a strong connection. What results is a great blend of affection, anger, and anguish traveling between them. I mean, Makoto hates Taro because of his father's death, yet its not like Taro did anything other than be abducted. By the same token, Makoto is an indirect victim, and is subject to the rumors/accusations of being the son of a criminal, much different then how the kids are afraid of dealing with the "victim" Taro. The fact that they have complex, tragic stories, yet strangely fit together is what really drew me into the show. Like, I enjoyed how these three characters, despite having a degree of obvious trauma, manage to be relatively played down. They are all effected, yet not entirely crippled by their issues. While they might not be entirely healthy, they deal with their problems in a relatively mature matter.Of course, eventually the "ghost" in "ghost hound" had to show up... Don't get me wrong, the show is still exploring these themes, but they are of a seemingly secondary concern. I can't blame them, ghosts/spirits are cool and all, but I feel like we're getting distracted by these elements. Jarring, would be the word I'd use. I intend to finish out the remaining episodes, though its only to see if this new direction can reclaim the intensity/somber reality I found so intoxicating about the introductory arc. Screenshots: Pros and Cons Positives Great music High style Dark, physiological tone Negatives Strong directing, unsteady direction High SRP for only half of a series... Could be hard to follow, as the series strings together only small details across many episodes. If, Than, But... If you like these series, you might like Ghost Hunt, but... Serial Experiments Lain: Style and tone are spot on, but more techno religious than "spirit"ual When they cry: Unexplained oddities in a weird town, but decidedly more "Child of the corn" town Mushishi: Episodic and focused on spirits, but considerably less... depressing
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I don't think that there is anything inherently wrong with Ghost Hound. It is the kind of show that is only going to appeal to the most niche of niche audiences, and no one else. This is not surprising - the show was largely created by a veritable tour-de-force of cult favorite names, having been directed and storyboarded by Ryutaro Nakamura (REC, Serial Experiments Lain, Kino's Journey) and written by the inimitable Chiaki J. Konaka (The Big O, Serial Experiments Lain, Mononoke, Texhnolyze, and some less weird stuff). But don't get confused. I personally love every single show I just mentioned (half of them are favorites), but that does not necessarily mean that I fall into the same niche as people who like Ghost Hound. It's a niche all it's own.
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According to new product pre-orders on RightStuf, it’s been revealed that Sentai Filmworks (whose distributor is ADV Films) has licensed the second half of the CLANNAD series, CLANNAD: After Story, as well as the anime series Ghost Hound and He is my Master.
CLANNAD: After Story is the 24 episode + 1 OVA second season to [...]
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Title: Ghost Hound
Episodes: 22
Company: Production I.G.
Genre(s): Drama/Horror
Air Dates: 18 Oct 2007 - 3 Apr 2008
Synopsis: Taro Komori has had the same dream every night. It starts with him flying around until the scene transitions to a dark room abuzz with flies. The room is mostly empty save for a girl’s corpse on a bed and [...]
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I’ll admit up-front that I loved Ghost Hound right from the outset, even during those tentative episodes when it wasn’t clear whether there was method in the madness (SE: Lain) or whether it was a monumental misfire in which Konaka and Nakamura lost sight of their goal of entertaining the audience ([email protected]). As it turns [...]
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I breathe a sigh of relief as I finish another fall series, this time Ghost Hound. I hate Ghost Hound. I didn’t hate it until it was over, and not just because it had a shitty, anticlimactic ending, but because it wasn’t until I was done with the damn thing that it released me from [...]
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The suggestion that there might be a level of consciousness beyond the physical realm has fascinated people for thousands of years. Are we tied to these bodies forever, or, could this vague concept of "we" be a mere illusion; a solid container that our 'ego' is ready to transcend at any given moment? Science has one answer, religion offers another. Ghost Hound combines the two.
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If you’re looking for a standard anime with a standard storyline, then you should stay well away from Ghost Hound. This is one series that tries to be different, and it’s at the same time after Shion no Ou my favourite series to have aired during the past Autumn Season. It does feature a bunch [...]
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